Page 39 of Ruby Menace

Rising quickly, I rush to Tiana’s side, using the bloody knife to slash through the ropes at her wrists and ankles. I grind my teeth at the sight of the dozens of fine cuts on her skin. Not deep, as I suspected, but enough to terrify her, I’m sure.

Sadistic motherfuckers!

Her head lolls slightly, and I realize that there’s a large swelling on the side of her head, a gash oozing blood.

Concussion, maybe. Her pupils look fine, but I’ll have to move carefully.

“Ptichka.” I stroke her cheek.

Her eyelids flutter as she looks at me. Her face crumples. “Kirill,” she sobs my name. “I knew you’d come.”

I pull the front of her dress closed, then rise and lift her from the chair, cradling her against my chest. She nestles against me, warm and soft. But she smells of blood and fear, and now I’m wishing again that I had more time to dispense punishment for what was done to her.

“You’re safe now,” I murmur against her ear. “I’ll never let anything happen to you again. I swear it.”

She sobs against me, clutching my shirt in her fists. I feel her tears on my skin, and I feel my own heart break.

“I thought I was going to die,” she says between breaths. “I thought you were going to die, too.”

“I’m here now,” I say. “We’re not going to die.”

“Oh God… Oh God…” She seems a step away from hysteria, which wouldn’t be surprising.

“Shhhh… Just breathe, little bird.” I hold her tighter.

“Kirill, it was waiting. Waiting!” She stares up at me, her eyes wide.

“What was waiting?” I stroke her cheek with the pad of my thumb.

“The van. Them. They were there!” Her breath grows shallow, frantic as she clings to me. She’s not making sense.

“Tiana, I need you to calm down. Try to breathe slowly. Can you do that for me?”

Clearly, she can’t because she’s panting now, her eyes rolling wildly. And then they roll back, and she goes limp against me.

Blyad!

She’s fainted. I huff out a sigh, wishing I’d been able to get more from her, but knowing that she’s already been through enough. I hold her closer, feeling the weight of her body against mine. She’s so small, so fragile. And whatever just happened to her is all my fault.

The door flies open, and Dima stands framed in it. “Boss!” He looks at me, and then to the corpse beside the door, and finally past my shoulder, his eyebrow lifting. I glance behind me, seeing the guy I left there writhing in a crimson lake.

“She okay?” Dima looks down at the woman in my arms.

I nod. “She’ll be fine.” At least, her body will. What’s been done to her spirit will take longer to heal. “We got trouble,” I add.

“More than we already have?” Dima cocks his head.

I nod. “The hit was planned. Petrov knew our movements. Knew how to find her. Someone told him.”

Dima’s face drops, his eyes growing steely. “We got a snitch?”

I narrow my eyes in response. “Da. And I think I know exactly who it is.”

Chapter Fifteen

Tiana

I inhale deeply, taking in the warm, comforting scent that’s surrounding me.

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